Beijing: Amid heavy rainfall warning in the country, China’s State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters on Monday raised the flood emergency response warning for Guangdong province from level IV to level III. The development comes after rainfall was predicted for the region, leading to rising water levels in several rivers including the Beijiang River in the Pearl River basin, the China-based Global Times reported, citing the Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM).
Since April 16, the Pearl River basin has been facing heavy rainfall, causing 44 rivers to reach flood levels surpassing official warnings. According to the Pearl River Water Resources Commission under the Ministry of Water Resources, the exceedance ranges between 0.01 to 7.04 meters.
At 8:45 pm (local time) on Saturday, the water flow of the Beijiang River at the Shijiao hydrological station reached 12,000 cubic metres per second, experiencing its second flood event of the year, according to the water resources ministry.
The Beijiang River basin is expected to face a once-in-a-century flood, the Global Times reported, citing media reports. According to the Guangdong Municipal Water Resources Authority, the river had its first flood of 2024 on April 8, which was the earliest occurrence since flood records for major Chinese rivers started in 1998.
The Pearl River water resources authorities raised the flood control emergency response to level II on Sunday, as the water level of the Beijiang River will continue to rise and potentially result in major flooding.
China has a four-tier flood control emergency response system, with level I being the most severe response. As of Saturday, the cumulative rainfall in various regions in Guangdong has broken the historical record for rainfall in April, according to Guangdong water resources authorities, according to Global Times report.
To prevent heightened risk, the Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM) said that technical equipment has been deployed to help in efforts related to the Beijiang River embankment in Guangdong. In addition, the working groups have been deployed to assist and guide flood control and disaster relief efforts in various areas, like Shaoguan and Qingyuan in Guangdong.
China’s National Meteorological Centre issued an orange alert for rainstorms on Sunday, as heavy rainfall is expected to continue in various regions, including Guangdong. China has a four-tier weather warning system, with red representing the most severe, followed by orange, yellow and blue.
(With Inputs From ANI)
